Family activities expert Dr. Bra Vada Garrett-Akinsanya points out ways to get children to help with the housework.
- Make a list of what needs to be cleaned and place it in a prominent place such as the refrigerator. That way the whole family will know what needs to be cleaned, and nagging will be unnecessary. Explain the task and how long it should take to do it. For example, if the first task is to clean the entryway, list everything that is involved in cleaning that area--sweep the floor, organize the shoes and clean the windows.
- Be specific. If you show a child how to clean a certain area of the home properly, you won't have to do it again. Tell him or her which sponge to use, how to dust or how to properly load the dishwasher.
- Assign jobs to each child on a rotating basis, or ask them which job they would prefer to do. If those strategies don't work, write down each job on a small piece of paper, put all the jobs into a hat and have the children pick two or three.
- Teach children to be responsible at an early age. Assign them an easy task such as picking up their belongings or setting the table.
- To help younger children learn how to put their clothes away, tape photographs or pictures of what goes inside each to the dresser drawers.
- Make things reachable for children such as low shelves and accessible bins. This way they can help put things away.
- Hang hooks at a child's eye level so that it is easier for them to hang up their own jackets.
- Store toys on shelves rather than in boxes. This way it is easier for children to find what they want to play with, without having to completely empty the toy box.
- Put music on while they are cleaning, or turn it into a game. For example, give a prize to whoever cleans the fastest or does the best job.
- Praise children for a job well done, because threats and nagging will get you nowhere. If they perform a job that is beyond their normal duty, it wouldn't hurt to reward them with money, a new toy or even some ice cream. It will give them a little more incentive to do the job right.
